(serves eight)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds Japanese, Persian, or English hothouse cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup labneh (Lebanese yogurt cheese) or Greek-style yogurt
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed well, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 9×7″ loaves focaccia, halved horizontally, or 8 ciabatta rolls
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400°. If using English cucumbers, split lengthwise and remove seeds (leave other varieties whole). Arrange cucumbers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (If using English cucumbers, arrange cut side down.) Brush with melted butter. Roast cucumbers until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer cucumbers to a paper towel-lined plate; chill until cold.
• Cut Japanese or Persian cucumbers lengthwise in half. Cut hothouse cucumber halves lengthwise in half. Slice crosswise into 1/4″-thick pieces. Whisk labneh and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in sliced cucumbers and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season filling to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
• Brush cut sides of focaccia or rolls with olive oil; place on a baking sheet and toast in a 400° oven until just crispy and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Divide filling among focaccia bottoms, cover with tops, and cut each into 4 sandwiches (or divide filling among rolls).

by Sara Gomach via www.scissorsandspice.com
Serves 2 as an entree or 4 as a side

[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 cup French lentils
• 3 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stalk (or 2) of rhubarb (diced into small pieces)
• 1/2 of 1 red bell pepper (diced into small pieces)
• 2 cups frozen spinach or 2 cups cooked spinach, chopped finely
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 TB of mustard seeds
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 TB minced ginger
• 1 TB cumin powder
• 1 TB brown sugar
• salt to taste

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Directions

1. Pour 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Add lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft, but not falling apart. Drain excess water.
2. Cook sweet potato. My favorite method is baking: Wrap sweet potato in foil and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until the skin pulls away from the flesh and the potato is soft. Baking caramelizes the sugar and brings a nice deep flavor to the potato. You can also just peel and cube the sweet potato and steam it.
3. While lentils are simmering, cut your vegetables.
4. In a large sauté pan, heat oil and then stir in mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add red pepper flakes and fennel. Add ginger (careful here, this may lead to a minor explosion. Have a lid handy just in case or you will have mustard seeds all over your floor.) Add cumin.
5. Add red peppers and rhubarb to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes. Add spinach and sautée until fully cooked. Add cooked lentils, cooked sweet potato and brown sugar and stir. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve alone or with a grain like rice or quinoa.